My sleeping aid. A long story about a shorting circuit. (??)

[DaV8or]

I hope I have hit bottom now. I pulled all the old wires out that I want to replace. Left and right P leads, the starter wire and all the wires needed for the Slick Start installation on the proper side of the firewall. Only problem is, it required I take even more things apart!!! ...

 

Tomorrow I start ordering things to make things start going in the other direction!

[Yetti]

Ah you are at that point.   With every problem/resolution series there has to be the only change one thing at a time.  Otherwise too many things get changed and you don't know what to troubleshoot.   Resoldering the P Leads with new wire(they needed to be done) is fully within my capabilities, but we had fixed so many things up to that point, that they needed to be done later as they were known to be working when last touched.  Besides what fun is "the list" without things that need to be done.

[DaV8or]

Just an update on this "saga".

 

I have been very busy with work and a pressing BBQ island project that has a wife induced deadline for the month of July that has had it's own headaches... so the plane has sat. However, I have been able to break away this week and make a little progress. She has now set a couple of months and this is likely the longest I have gone without flying since I got my ticket. So be it. It is what it is.

 

I now have the new P leads I fabricated and the new Starter wire to the starter solinoid instaled. The Slick Start has now been moved to it's correct location and all the new wiring run to it. I now await IA inspection so I can start the closing up process.

 

New P Leads!

 

 

Slick Start on the right side of the fire wall!!

 

 

My new $310 Ignition switch hooked up, awaiting sign off!!

 

[N201MKTurbo]

Looks like top notch work!

[Hank]

Dave, you're welcome to rewire my plane to your heart's content!

[DaV8or]

Looks like top notch work!

 

Thanks! Not sure what notch it is, but I'll get 'er done!

[DaV8or]

It's coming along now. Everything is finished firewall forward and ready to fly, including a new set of Tempest 37BY plugs.

 

 

 

Still more work to do inside though. I took the oportunity to finish a job I meant to do two years ago and that is run the little wire from my new 406 ELT in the tail cone to the 430W in the panel so it can broadcast lat longs in the event of an emergency. I don't know where to plug it in, so the wire is installed and coiled next to the Garmin so the next time I'm over at the avionics shop they can plug it in. I'm also going to finally mount and run the wires for the Garmin GDL-39 I bought years ago and never used.

 

So the pilot's side panel is all back together and hooked up. Took the opportunity to fix the ring light for the turn coordinator. Yea! Of course reassembly didn't come without at least one "Oh F**K!" moment.

 

I had all the instruments back in, the panel all tightened up and ready to celebrate with a beer, but first one last thing for the day, crawl under the panel and plug the S-Tec/turn coordinator back in... Hmmm... Why can't I get it plugged in all the way?? Better check with the mirror and flashlight...

 

OH F**K! Arrrrgghh... !!

 

Some stupid little wires that are apparently for my strobe synchronization got tightly stretched over the turn coordinator multi pin socket when I pushed the whole panel in. No way to pry them loose with fear of breaking them. To a guy that's used to handing 2/0 cable, every wire in an airplane looks like it will break if you even breath on it. It's actually a minor miracle any of this crap works.

 

Anyhow, the whole panel had to come loose and push back out so I could free those three stupid wires. For half a second I thought... Do I really need strobes anyhow...? Sadly, yes. Wires free, panel bolted up again and the plug went on.

 

 

Next up- put the radio stack back together, get that GDL 39 installed, put the seats back in, charge the battery, get it final signed off and fire her up!  Just in time to fly up for the annual!!

 

Oh. Brother. I might skip owner assist this year. I've had a fair share of one on one with the airplane this year.

[MB65E]

Hang in there!! My airplane partner and I have named our 65E "Patients"

-Matt

[DaV8or]

So to conclude this story, the avionics stack went back in just fine and you know what?? They actually all still work!!! Charged the battery, got the sign off and she started right up. She has been starting fine since. Keeping my fingers crossed though.

 

I haven't yet finished the glare shield/GDL 39 install yet. I intended to have the airplane all closed up to go off to annual, but I got thrown another curve ball.

 

I'm making a slight change in the way that the aluminum part of the glare shield attaches to the frame by putting some threaded stand offs in there. The reason is, the way it has been, the screws pull down to much, deform the aluminum sheet metal and it looks lumpy. So I ordered parts from McMaster Carr based on the 6-32 threaded screw that came out. When I went to install my little upgrade, the new screws kept skipping like the thread was stripped. Then it dawned on me, previous mechanics had installed 6-32 screws in 8-32 holes. I then confirmed this to be so.

 

Really??!! Super annoying. Anyhow I got all the wrong parts, was out of time and the plane went off to annual without a glare shield. The plane is back now and this thread reminded me to get back on McMaster Carr and order some stand offs again...

 

Next month I'll take it over to the avionics shop and have them hook up the GDL-39 and the wire for the 406 ELT. I'll also have them look at my #1 CDI that has died. If it ain't one thing, it's another!!

[MyNameIsNobody]

Love this thread. I can tell it is a labor of love. The result is beautiful. Get your wife hypnotized so she flies with you. That beautiful plane should be enjoyed "as a couple". If my wife could be "converted"...anyone's can. Don't give up on that just like you have not given up on making everything "right".